


A Katolian Solstice

by HPbooks4life



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, F/M, Fluff, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rayla goes to Katolis, no one wanted this but here we are, post-season 3, the gang relaxing over the holidays, this is therapeutic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-21
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:53:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23606347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HPbooks4life/pseuds/HPbooks4life
Summary: It's been a few months since the Battle of the Storm Spire. Ezran has returned to Katolis, along with Opeli as chief advisor and Soren as Head Crownguard. Callum and Rayla have found a steady rhythm at the Storm Spire, Ibis teaching Callum more about the Sky Arcanum, and Rayla working on rebuilding the Dragon Guard. Janai has returned to Lux Aurea as something she never thought she'd be - queen. And Amaya has resumed her post at the Breach, this time as a sort of caretaker rather than general.But as the summer solstice approaches, and the little ragtag family reunites for the holidays, they each find that they've changed - for better or for worse. And without the constant threat of war, will love be enough to keep them together?Fluffier than it sounds, I swear :)
Relationships: Amaya & Gren (The Dragon Prince), Amaya/Janai (The Dragon Prince), Callum & Ezran & Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 62
Kudos: 128





	1. The Return

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! If you're reading this, thank you. I literally suck at summaries, so you must have some kind of faith in my writing :'D This is a very short chapter to start out, but I like to be able to go back and change things as I'm writing and getting new ideas, so I do tend to wait to post chapters until the last second to keep my options open. If you guys like this and want to see more, leave a comment and let me know! I love receiving comments, and I'm currently working on a few pieces, so I'll probably work the most on whatever gets the best feedback.
> 
> Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: I mistitled this. Oops. It's 1am, please don't judge me :'D

Rayla did not want to be here.

Well, correction. She wanted to be with Callum. And she wanted to be wherever Callum was.

She just really wished that where he was wasn’t here.

The horse underneath of her, apparently sensing her thoughts, shifted uncomfortably, its pace picking up ever so slightly as it responded to her agitation. Rayla pulled back on the reins a little, slowing the creature back down to a trot, and tried to take a few deep breaths. This would be fine. She would be fine. The king of Katolis had personally invited her to the kingdom. Soren would be there. Ezran, obviously. Corvus. Amaya, eventually. And, of course, Callum.

She looked to her right, where the mage was currently riding beside her. His riding had improved throughout the trip, but he still looked rather uncomfortable on his horse, his bright green eyes darting back and forth shiftily and his body tensed ever so slightly. His windswept hair, which had grown out just enough to make it perpetually messy, moved gently in a breeze that only he could feel. She’d noticed tiny changes like this slowly grow more pronounced the past few months, as he became stronger and more advanced in sky magic, developing an ever closer bond with the sky arcanum. His arms, while still by no means _muscular,_ had grown noticeably more defined as he used his mage wings more and more, and the runes that had once been temporarily painted there were now part of his skin, the work of a talented Earthblood. He rarely wore jackets anymore, even when it was cold enough for _Rayla_ to wear one. He said he didn’t feel the chill.

Not that Rayla minded. It afforded her a rather nice view.

Lost in thought, Rayla didn’t realize that she was staring until Callum caught her gaze and grinned. Blushing, she looked back at her own hands, clutching the reins of her horse tightly. It wasn’t exactly news that they were together, but she found that he still had the ability to make her blush, if he caught her off guard.

Which he seemed to find far too easy.

Callum laughed. “It’ll be fine, Ray,” he said, reading her thoughts. “Ez has put a lot of work into making Katolis more accepting. I mean, I can’t promise it’ll be perfect. There’ll always be a few bad apples. But…” He reached over and took her hand. “I can promise it’ll at least be good.”

Rayla smiled a little, looking up at her… boyfriend. Right. The word still seemed so foreign and strange, but that was what Callum was. Her boyfriend.

She leaned over, across the gap between their animals, and placed a quick kiss on his lips, effortlessly keeping her balance as they continued moving forward. Callum rolled his eyes, but couldn’t contain a smile.

“Show off.”

“Sap,” she replied with a grin. Then, eyes sparkling mischievously, she broke out into a gallop, calling over her shoulder, “Race you!”

Rayla heard him call out through laughter as he, too, sped up, but she already had a head start. She leaned low over her horse, gripping the reins and spurring it on, heart racing and chest bubbling with laughter and joy. The past few days, spent traveling through Xadia with Callum, had been some of the most enjoyable she’d had in a long time. They’d received a letter from Ez about two weeks ago, inviting them to Katolis for a visit. It was the summer solstice in a few days, which, surprisingly, had symbolic meaning in both human and Xadian culture. Ezran had decided that he was going to try to create a holiday that represented both cultures’ traditions, and invite some elves, too. Both Callum and Rayla had initially been nervous about how the Katolian people would take this news, but as Ezran told them in the letter, everyone was being surprisingly accommodating - although whether this was because of a newfound respect for elves, or grudging obedience of their king, remained to be seen.

So here they were, riding horses they’d collected yesterday at the Breach, or the Bridge, as it was now being called, cautiously optimistic and nervous as hell. Moonstriders had carried the pair through Xadia, but as it was, an elf entering the Pentarchy’s territory was huge. They’d both agreed that scaring the humans with terrifying new animals might be a step too far.

Rayla, who’d never ridden a horse before now, was a surprisingly gifted rider. It wasn’t much different from a moonstrider, really, other than the slightly larger height from the ground and the far more boring coloring. Callum, who _had_ ridden a horse before, was _dreadful._ So it was no surprise that it was Rayla who reached the hill at the edge of the forest first, bringing her animal to an abrupt stop as she gazed at the scene below.

Spread out before her, in all its glory, lay the kingdom of Katolis. Its limestone colored outer walls gave off a soft, welcoming glow in the morning light, the faint glint of the border patrols’ armor visible as they walked the battlements. Beyond the walls lay the kingdom itself, a sprawling expanse of winding alleys and higgledy-piggledy housing. The very tops of the buildings were really the only things visible from here, short, squat huts with straw roofs and tall, looming buildings with steel structures and shingled roofs. There was an empty area towards the center of the kingdom that made up the main square, where they most likely held markets and large events. It was early yet, the sun only just rising, but Rayla could make out tiny people moving about, early risers preparing for the day. And farther back, rising above it all, was the palace. The same warm stone that had been used for the outer walls rose up in the shapes of turrets and towers, windows gleaming in the morning sun. 

Rayla remembered climbing those walls, what felt like centuries ago. She was a different person then. She’d nearly killed Callum, although the thought was now almost laughable. She’d known nothing of true justice, or friendship, or princes, human or dragon. How much had changed since then.

She heard a voice from beside her. “Ready?”

Rayla turned and smiled at Callum. “Yeah,” she said softly.

They turned and rode down the hill, headed straight for the gates of Katolis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes our first (and very short) chapter!


	2. Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who left a comment or kudos! I was really happy that so many people liked this fic, and I was actually up until 4am writing the next few chapters. I'm exhausted, but here you go :'D
> 
> Enjoy!

The first thing Callum noticed about the place where he’d grown up was how little it had changed. The same winding cobbled streets, the same towering buildings, the same people going about their lives. The same palace rising above it all, his home, despite how odd it felt. Even after all this time, he was still taken aback at the splendor of it, the opulence that seemed almost comical in comparison to the simple structures of the city, or the tree houses of the Silvergrove. He didn’t exactly  _ hate _ the place. Not anymore, at least. It was just… odd.

He snuck a glance at Rayla, riding beside him. Despite how silly it seemed, Callum realized that he was actually nervous about how she would react to where and how he lived. She’d been here before, of course. The night of the assassination. But those had been very,  _ very _ different circumstances, and somehow he didn’t think she had stopped to admire the heavily ornamented drapes, or the ridiculously bejeweled chalices that lined the halls for seemingly no other reason than to show the world that the royal family was rich. He hated the needless showiness, and he wouldn’t really blame her if she hated him for living with it.

But that was ridiculous. She was  _ Rayla. _ The kindest, bravest, most honorable person he knew. She wouldn’t judge him.

Still, he couldn’t help the self-conscious duck of his head he gave when she jokingly asked him if he was sure he knew where he was going. He was all too aware of the presence the palace had in the city. It was one of the many reasons he’d preferred to find places to relax out of its shadow - both literally and figuratively.

A woman passing with her two children stopped in her tracks and openly stared at the pair. It didn’t seem particularly intimidating, more curious, but Callum wasn’t too fond of the lear another man was aiming Rayla’s way. He grabbed her hand, despite how uncomfortable the gesture was on horseback, and stared the man down, making himself perfectly clear. She’s here with me. You got a problem, deal with it.

Rayla gave him a little smile and squeezed his hand appreciatively. He knew she’d never tell him how much things like that bothered her. She was far too self-sacrificing for that. All the more reason to pay attention and put a stop to them anyway. She didn’t deserve to be treated like a circus freak, or a monster. No one did, but especially not Rayla.

The majority of the city was surprisingly welcoming. There was still quite a lot of staring - most of these people hadn’t ever even heard an accurate description of an elf, let alone actually seen one. But most people were kind enough, an encouraging amount even downright friendly. Rayla soon attracted her own little parade of children, pointing and staring at her pointed ears and purple markings. Callum could tell the attention made her a little uncomfortable, but she smiled and waved, even letting some of them touch her horns when she and Callum stopped for a moment to say hello to Barius. 

Barius was now a baker at the palace, the head pastry chef in fact, and was out for supplies. Callum knew he could probably have just ordered them, but Barius was a sociable man. He greeted everyone by name, asking after an uncle Tom or aunt Sally. He would probably go mad if he couldn’t go out and socialize every once in a while.

As he and Callum chatted, Rayla sat on the edge of a nearby fountain and started playing with the children who’d started following them. The younger ones poked and prodded her, inspecting her four fingered hands and following the graceful curve of her horns with their own little fingers. She seemed a bit uncomfortable, but laughed and endured their curiosity without complaint. The older ones seemed a little more tense, watching her with wary eyes. But as she played with the smaller children, the ones too young to be scared, they slowly came forward, their curiosity winning out. She talked to them, answering increasingly detailed and excited questions about Xadia and Moonshadow elves. Quite a few myths were dispelled that day, including the one about elves drinking blood. When she got that question, Rayla glanced over at Callum, eyes dancing with laughter at the inside joke.

As they mounted their horses and once more made for the palace, Callum quietly spoke.

“You were really good with the kids. They weren’t scared of you at all.”

She looked over at him and grinned. “Well, they were a bit scared, at first. But then they saw how  _ charming _ I was -” Callum rolled his eyes, grinning, “- and fell for me right away!”

“Yeah,” he said, snorting, “It was definitely your charm. Not the fact that you literally let them put their hands  _ everywhere. _ ” He shot her a sideways glance. “By the way. Were you okay with that? You seemed a little tense.”

She nodded slowly. “They were just curious. It wasn’t so bad.”

Callum shook his head. “But if you weren’t comfortable, you should’ve said -”

“They’re kids, Callum,” Rayla said gently, putting a hand on his arm. 

He frowned, looking down at his hands. “I just don’t want you to feel like you can’t say anything,” he mumbled.

She grinned. “Don’t worry, sad prince. I know you’d take on anyone for me.”

Callum looked up at her with a little smile, and her grin turned mischievous. “I mean,” she added, “You’d lose, but still. It’s that thought that counts.”

Callum scowled playfully at her, but then sighed in defeat. “You’re not wrong,” he admitted with a chuckle.

She winked. “I know. I’ve seen you train.”

They continued to go back and forth as they neared the castle, their banter familiar and comforting. No matter what happened, at least they had each other.

When they reached the drawbridge (yet another thing Callum found absolutely ridiculous and painfully cliche), they were greeted with a surprise - Soren was standing there, arms crossed and feet planted, grinning like a little kid on Christmas. Rayla laughed aloud, dismounting immediately and striding over to the Crownguard. Though their relationship had been strained in the past, the two had worked out their differences, and even become good friends during the weeks before he returned to Katolis. 

“Soren!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him in a firm hug. “I thought you’d have guard duty or something!”

He gave a light laugh. “My entire duty is basically to make sure Ez doesn’t give us the slip. That kid is  _ way _ too good at disappearing.”

Callum snorted. “Ez literally knows every secret passage in Katolis. I think he could probably give an entire squadron the slip, even with them taking shifts and watching him sleep.”

“Wow,” Soren said with a grin, “How much have you thought about this?”

“Shut up,” Callum muttered, dismounting and rolling his eyes.

Soren clapped the boy’s shoulder, sending Callum stumbling a few steps forward. He saw Rayla snicker, and when Soren wasn’t looking stuck his tongue out at her. The gesture sent her into a silent fit of giggles that she somehow brought under control before Soren noticed their antics. 

Oblivious as usual, he started bringing them up to speed on what had happened in their absence. He was one of the few members of their little crew that was as of yet unaware of Callum and Rayla’s relationship, and not for lack of trying. They’d hinted at it in every possible way shy of making out in front of him, but he was clueless. Rayla had even given Callum a goodnight kiss on the cheek, and the Crownguard’s only reaction was to say, “I love that you two are such good friends!” At this point, they’d given up. Eventually, he would either find out from someone else, or he’d catch on. Either way, it was bound to be hilarious, so they’d refrained from actively trying to get him to realize the nature of their relationship anymore.

Soren brought them to the throne room, where Ezran was doing, according to him, “king stuff.” When they walked through the doors, Ezran leapt from the throne, raced across the room, and threw himself into Rayla’s arms, yanking Callum into the hug in the same motion. The result was a tangled mess of a hug, full of elbows and knees and giggles.

It was perfect.

“I’m so glad you guys are here!” Ezran exclaimed, carefully extricating himself from the other two. “I missed you so much!”

Callum smiled at him. “We missed you too.”

Bait, who Callum realized was nestled in Ezran’s hair, gave a grumpy little croak, and Rayla laughed. “We missed you, too, Bait,” she said, giving the glow toad’s head a pat. He made a slightly less grumpy grunt and turned a warm shade of orange, his happy color.

“Prince Callum,” said a voice from behind Ezran. Callum looked up to see Opeli standing there, smiling at the reunion. “How lovely to have you back.”

Callum gave her a smile. “Thanks. It’s good to be back.”

Opeli nodded to Rayla. “And Rayla. I’m glad you could come. Ezran’s been talking about this visit for weeks.”

Rayla smiled at her, and Callum was glad Opeli had singled her out in her welcome. In a city full of people who didn’t understand you, every gesture made a difference.

Ezran grinned. “Boy, do I have surprises for you! This solstice is gonna be  _ epic! _ ” 

Rayla ruffled his hair, careful not to disturb Bait. “I don’t doubt it,” she said with a little laugh.

They decided to reconvene later, as Ezran had more “king stuff” to attend to. As Soren ushered them out the door of the throne room, he spoke up.

“Oh yeah!” he said, holding the door for Rayla, “I nearly forgot, General Amaya -”

“You know you can just call her Amaya, right?” Callum interrupted, laughing. “I mean, you two are now basically the same rank.”

Soren looked vaguely confused for a second. “But… she’s General Amaya.”

Callum and Rayla shared an exasperated look, Rayla barely containing a fond smile. “Yes, Soren, she’s General Amaya,” Rayla replied. “So what about her?”

“She’s bringing a friend!” Soren exclaimed, grinning. “Queen Janai of Lux Aurea. The one who brought her to the Storm Spire?”

Queen Janai. Once, she’d been known only as Janai, but after her sister’s tragic death at the hands of Lord Viren, she’d had to step up as queen. Callum and Rayla had both been sure that there was something going on between her and Callum’s aunt, and this pretty much solidified it. They shared a grin. When Amaya had discovered their relationship, she’d made it quite awkward. Now was their chance for revenge. Oh, this was going to be so much fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The awkward situation with Amaya referenced here is actually one of my previous fics, Memories and Marriage. I’m going to use it as part of canon for the purpose of this fic. It’s super short, and not really important to this plot, so if you haven’t read it you’re still fine to read this. But if you want to, there will be easter eggs here. And it’s Amaya being her wonderful, slightly cruel in the best possible way self. Basically impossible to go wrong ;)


	3. Janai

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamaya goodness ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! This is the first chapter not posted at ungodly times of the morning, because I actually slept last night! I think this should be a national holiday.... :'D
> 
> This chapter got away from me a little, but I think it's passable. If it's a little choppy in places, that's because my "proofread" was done while texting my friend, watching Scrubs (the Grey's Anatomy of the 90s but better), and listening to my mom play Minecraft. I'm having an interesting quarantine lmao. I'll probably go back and fix a few things as I read this over after it's published, but overall it should be decent.
> 
> Also, no, I don't know why the chapter name is Janai and it's Amaya's perspective. I imagine at 4am I had some deep, philosophical reason for that. I can't figure out what for the life of me. If you have a reason that works, feel free to use it and pretend I'm relatively coherent! ;)
> 
> And after that winning sales pitch, enjoy!

Amaya stood on the edge of the Breach, looking out over the bubbling lava. For so long, it’d symbolized safety. Protection from those who lived on the other side. It was, for all intents and purposes, the end of the world.

Now, it was nothing more than a nuisance, although it was still useful for stopping the occasional crazed elf or human intent on destroying the other species. 

Amaya grinned. Her life really was one of a kind.

Gren, her ever-present shadow, smiled back at her.  _ What are you thinking? _ he signed. Lip reading was useful in conversations with people who didn’t know the language, but it was still easier to read signs than lips.

_ Being sentimental,  _ Amaya signed back. _ Those kids got in my head. _

Ever since leaving the Storm Spire, Amaya noticed that she was starting to reflect on her life a little more. She’d never really questioned what she’d been raised to believe - elves are evil. Humans are good.

Well. She’d questioned the “humans are good” part. After meeting Viren, she wasn’t sure any sane person wouldn’t.

But elves had always been the bad guys. The monsters under the bed. They were what pushed her to train. What kept her on her toes. The desire to protect humanity from them had driven her to earn one of the most prestigious positions in the military.

And in a matter of days, all of that had been proven wrong.

In a way, it was a relief. There was literally an entire country of elves, separated from the human kingdoms only by a river of fire, which sounded plenty secure, but still. So many. If they were all monsters, it would be a scary world indeed.

But at the same time, Amaya found herself forced to accept that what she’d spent her life believing - the people that she had dedicated her life to destroying - were really not all bad. Where did that leave her? What did that make her? Could she still claim to be a good person if she’d so readily believed that an entire country of people could be evil just because of an accident of birth?

Evidently she’d been lost in thought for a while, because Gren gently touched her arm. She looked over at him and smiled.

_ Are you okay? _

_ Of course. Just thinking. _

He grinned.  _ What else is new? _

Amaya rolled her eyes and lightly smacked his arm. Gren had been there for her as long as she could remember. He’d been her interpreter for many years, but before that he’d been her friend. They’d grown up together, in houses right next to one another, and their mothers were close before they were even born. He was one of the few people who’d known Sarai as long as Amaya had - longer, in fact. They’d been friends first, but when Amaya was born, she was welcomed into both families with open arms. When they realized that Amaya couldn’t communicate with words, he and Sarai learned sign language so they could still talk. The three would get into all sorts of trouble together, skipping school and stealing sweets. He’d been like a brother to them. 

When Sarai died, he attended the funeral with her. He held her while she cried the nights away, sometimes joining her as they silently reminisced about the woman they’d both loved like a sister. He still visited her grave with Amaya sometimes. They’d leave flowers, tell her about the kids. It was therapeutic, and they both enjoyed the feeling that Sarai was listening. That somewhere, she knew how wonderfully her children had turned out.

_ You’re really out of it today, aren’t you? _ Gren signed with a mischievous grin.  _ Could it be because of a certain Sunfire elf? _

Amaya smacked his arm again, harder this time, scowling playfully.  _ She’s just a friend, _ she insisted, although her goofy grin gave her away rather. Gren threw up his arms.

_ Whatever you say. _

Rolling her eyes, Amaya returned to looking out over the Breach. Since they’d blown up the hidden path, effectively destroying the only way to travel between Xadia and the Pentarchy, a temporary flying service had been set up - by none other than Lujanne, the slightly mad guardian of the Moon Nexus. She herself remained at the Cursed Caldera, but she’d sent her newly reborn phoenix, Phoe-Phoe, to ferry travellers to and from Xadia. The bird was good-natured, and relatively easy to take care of. As long as she had a warm place to sleep and a meal, she was happy. Some days, she carried dozens of people over the Breach, diplomats, merchants, even a few very lucky, and slightly crazy, tourists. They tried to keep the amount of people travelling back and forth to a minimum, since the tentative peace they’d achieved was far from set in stone, and poor Phoe-Phoe could only take so much. But after a thousand years of the other side being banned, it was understandable that people would be curious.

Today, she only had one scheduled flight - Janai’s. Or Queen Janai, rather. Others would be flying in for the solstice later, but the little family had decided to meet a bit before the actual holiday, to allow time to catch up and spend time together. When Amaya had asked if she could bring a friend, Ezran had enthusiastically agreed, although she was almost certain that there had been an element of teasing in the letter he’d sent after she told him who. Still, she was glad for the opportunity to see Janai, and allow her to get to know the rest of the family. They’d talked a bit in the weeks before everyone had left the Storm Spire, but Janai still didn’t really know them, and they didn’t know her. Heck, come to think of it, Amaya barely knew her. But she knew that war often sent the typical requirements of “knowing” someone straight out the window, and this was one of those instances. She may not have known her favorite color, or her childhood pet, but she knew her heart. Her soul.

It was a good one.

Suddenly, she saw movement on the opposite side. A magnificent blue bird rose into the sky, wings beating up and down as it flew over the Breach. The trip didn’t take long, and a moment later Phoe-Phoe set down on the grass outside of the fortress, cawing and stretching her neck. Laughing, Amaya set off down the stairs, Gren just behind her. When she reached the ground, she strode out over the lawn, holding out her hands to help Janai down from the enormous bird’s back. Although she was reluctant to accept the help, the bird was awfully tall, so after a moment she took the proffered hand and swung herself to the ground.

Immediately, Amaya swept her up into a bone crushing hug, grinning hugely. When she finally let go, Janai needed a moment to catch her breath. Once she did, she sighed. 

_ Hello, Amaya, _ she signed in perfect KSL.

Amaya’s smile, if possible, got wider.

_ You’ve learned sign language!  _ she signed excitedly, Gren for once remaining silent as she did so.  _ How much do you know? _

Despite herself, Janai smiled a little. “Gren, I’m going to have to ask for a translation. I’m afraid I’ve only learned how to say  _ Hello, Amaya, Go away,  _ and a rather interesting selection of cuss words _. _ ” 

Gren grinned. “She’s just happy you’ve learned some signs. She asked how much you know, but you’ve just answered that, so.” 

Janai rolled her eyes. “I figure someone who hugs that hard isn’t letting me go for a while, so we may as well be able to communicate to pass the time.”

_ Damn straight, _ Amaya signed.

Janai snorted. “I’ve no idea what she said, but there was a cuss word, so I respect it.”

They all laughed this time.

Amaya wanted to leave for Katolis as soon as possible, so once she and Gren had grabbed their bags, the three headed to the stables and secured a few mounts for the trip. It would be a few day’s journey, maybe longer, on foot, but on a horse they could be there by nightfall. 

As Janai swung up onto her horse with the ease of a seasoned rider, Amaya grinned.  _ Where did you learn to ride? _

Gren translated, and Janai shrugged. “I didn’t. Just comes naturally, I guess.”

Amaya snorted.  _ Took me six months to learn how to ride a horse. Still can’t do it well. The things hate me. _

The corners of Janai’s mouth twitched upward. “I doubt that.”

Then, color rising in her cheeks as she realized she’d said something approaching a compliment, she spurred her horse on, out of the stables.

Gren grinned and nudged Amaya.  _ Still just friends? _

The scowl she sent him could’ve leveled ten armies.

0oOo0

They arrived in Katolis just as the sun was beginning to set. The blue of the sky started deepening, reaching an impossibly blue color that faded into lavender, then pink and orange, as the sun sank slowly below the horizon. It was beautiful, a spectacular display of natural beauty. Amaya noticed that Janai almost seemed to shine in the light of the setting sun, giving off a faint golden glow. Probably a Sunfire thing. It was terribly flattering, giving her an unearthly look. Amaya caught herself staring several times, and each time looked quickly away, trying not to blush. Once, she looked over at Gren only to see him wiggle his eyebrows at her. 

She made a rather rude sign in his general direction, and refused to look at him again for ten whole minutes.

When they rode into the palace, a servant was waiting to escort them to the sitting room, where everyone was gathered. Apparently, Ezran had been worried that there’d be no one to greet them if they came in late. Amaya smiled. He really was a sweet boy.

As they walked in, Ezran jumped to his feet and rushed over, gladly accepting Amaya’s rib cracking squeeze. Rayla laughed.

“I thought that was special treatment just for Callum and I?” she asked, pretending to be offended.

“Nope, I do it to everyone I love,” Ezran replied, and Amaya’s heart swelled. Good lord, he was a sweetheart. Even Rayla only smiled in response, looking at Ezran like he was a little angel. Which he really was.

Gren got much the same treatment, and even Janai got a hug, which she looked surprised about.

“I guess it runs in the family,” she said, and everyone laughed.

The three new arrivals settled themselves around the fire, catching up with everyone. Janai, much to Amaya’s relief, wasn’t excluded, Callum especially seeming to take an interest in the Sunforge. He was truly a nerd in the purest sense of the word, but as Amaya watched him talk animatedly, asking in depth questions, she couldn’t deny that he’d found his niche. This resonated with him in a way a sword or bow never had. It was wonderful to see.

They talked into the wee hours of the morning. Eventually, Ezran started nodding off, and laughing silently, Soren scooped him up and said a quiet goodnight. Opeli and Corvus, who had stopped by to say hello and been roped into the conversation, also headed off, leaving Rayla, Callum, Amaya, Janai, and Gren.

Rayla gave an exaggerated yawn. “Well,” she said, “I’m beat. I think I’ll head off to bed. Callum, are you coming?” She batted her eyes at him innocently, and he grinned.

“Yep, I’m exhausted.” Then, his grin turning a little mischievous, Callum turned to Gren. “But before we go, there’s something we wanted to show you, Gren. Isn’t that right Rayla?”

Rayla smiled. “Yep. Been dying to show you.”

Looking at Amaya uncertainly, Gren started to speak. “I’m not sure -”

“Oh, it’ll only take a second!” Callum interrupted, grinning.

His eyes sparked with understanding, and he grinned. “Sure! Sounds like fun!”

Amaya, who very much understood what was going on, quickly signed,  _ oh, I should be heading off too. _

Waving a hand, Rayla got to her feet. “Oh no, no! Don’t dash off on account of us! We’ll only be a moment.”

“Yeah! I’ll be right back! I mean, assuming it’s ok with you?” He gave Amaya an innocent look.

She glared at him, but couldn’t do anything besides nod. 

“See you in the morning,” Rayla said as they slipped out the door, winking just before it shut.

Amaya was pretty sure she’d never wanted to kill anyone so badly in her life. They’d left them alone! Why had they gone and done a thing like that?

Janai, who was by no means oblivious, looked equally uncomfortable, although her lips did twitch up in the hint of a smile.

“They’re subtle,” she said with a light laugh.

Amaya groaned and covered her face with her hands. After a moment, she realized that the gesture basically ended any hope they had of conversation, and she lowered them again. Janai was grinning at her, which nearly made her rebury her face, but she resisted.

Amaya gave her a smile in return. Janai was carefully keeping her face turned toward her, to ensure she could read her lips, and it gave Amaya more time to study her face. It was beautiful, with proud features and high cheekbones. Her skin, so much darker than Amaya’s own, was smooth and flawless, like polished ebony. Her eyes were almond shape, with dark brown irises and tiny flecks of amber that seemed to glow in the firelight. Her lips were full and a dark pink, and Amaya was having a very hard time not staring at them.

Amaya slowly began signing, and Janai watched her motions carefully, trying to decipher their meaning.

_ They’ve been on me ever since we showed up at the Storm Spire. _

Janai’s brow wrinkled in confusion, and Amaya found the motion mesmerizing. The space between her eyebrows, normally perfectly smooth like the rest of her skin, developed lines, bringing her eyebrows a little closer together. Her forehead got a few tiny lines too, and her nose twitched a little, and Amaya was pretty sure she was melting into a puddle on the sofa.

“All I got was ‘on me’ and ‘Storm Spire,’” she said, laughing. 

The area around her eyes crinkled, tiny crows feet appearing, and her eyes sparkled. 

Oh gods.

Amaya was in love.

The pair called it a night soon afterward. Without Gren, they couldn’t hold much more than a rudimentary conversation, and although their fumbled attempts were rather entertaining, it was getting late. They were both well aware that Gren wouldn’t be returning anytime soon.

When they reached Janai’s door, she turned and gave a tiny smile.  _ Goodnight, Amaya, _ she signed. She must’ve asked Gren how to say that.

Amaya smiled.  _ Goodnight. _

As the door closed behind her, Amaya’s smile widened into a goofy grin.

Something told her this was going to be a very good holiday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gods I love them so much :'D
> 
> This does NOT conclude Rayla and Callum's revenge, this is only the beginning...
> 
> Next up: Rayla's POV! (Or possibly something else I'm not committing because life happens ;))


	4. Opulence is Overrated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rayla can't stand the royal treatment :'D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok wow, totally spaced on posting this sorry :'D
> 
> I may have to slow down the posting a little, because I'm starting to post faster than I can write. For now it'll stay the same, but if I miss a day, I'm still continuing this! I probably just had a lot of work :) I'll try really hard to stay consistent though, as I have a hard time with that and am trying to get better.
> 
> Shorter chapter this time, but there wasn't really much happening. This is basically a setup for the next chapter... but no spoilers ;)
> 
> Enjoy!

Rayla was drowning.

She’d been given a room that was far nicer than any other place she’d ever stayed - a roaring hearth, with plush armchairs and books and enormous windows that looked out on the lawn, with dark blackout curtains that could be pulled over them. Her bed was huge, with plush feathers in the mattress and pillows that made them feel impossibly soft. The sheets were silk, the comforter heavy and warm.

It was a wonderful bed.

She was drowning in it.

The thing was so enormous, she was positive it was going to just swallow her up and never let her out again, and in the morning all they’d find was her hand, sticking up from the center as she grasped for something to save her.

Eventually, she gave up on the bed, grabbed a pillow, and tried sleeping in one of the armchairs. But it was no good.

She sighed, staring up at the ceiling. She knew exactly what was missing. Or rather, who.

For the past month, she and Callum had started sleeping together. Oh gosh, no, that sounded wrong - they’d started sleeping in the same room. The same bed, once they got up the nerve. It was easier to sleep near one another. They had fewer nightmares, and honestly just enjoyed being together.

She’d known that they wouldn’t have the same arrangement in Katolis, but she was finding it harder to adjust than she was expecting.

Finally, she gave up. She knew she’d never sleep without Callum. Standing, she walked to the door, opened it a crack, and peered out into the dark hallway.

No one.

Slipping out the door, she silently made her way down the hall, passing door after door, until she finally reached his.

Taking a deep breath, she raised her hand to knock.

Only to nearly punch Callum as the door opened under her fist.

He jerked backward on instinct, only avoiding falling to the ground because Rayla caught him. Snickering as quietly as she could, she stood him back up.

“Sorry,” she whispered, “I was just about to knock.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, equally quiet.

“I… um… Well, I was hoping…” Why was this so hard to do? Suddenly, she felt a bit embarrassed, coming here and asking for cuddles like a child. She looked at the ground. “It’s, uh, nothing. Don’t worry about it. Where were you going?”

Looking a little abashed himself, he replied, “I was having trouble sleeping. I was hoping we could… well. Do what we usually do.”

In that moment, Rayla loved him more than she’d ever loved anyone else.

She gave him a small smile. “That’s what I was going to ask you,” she said with a shy smile.

He looked a bit relieved. Then, realizing they were still in the hall, he stepped aside, ushering her through the door.

His room was surprisingly simple. A writing desk. A rug. A window. A  _ normal _ sized bed in a simple wooden frame.

Rayla scowled. “Why’d I get the gaudy hell?”

Callum shut the door, turned, took one look at her face and doubled over. She placed her hands on her hips. “And what, pray tell, is so funny?”

He held up his hands in protest. “Nothing! But… your  _ face. _ There’s only one guest room that would offend you that much. The diplomat’s suite. It’s supposed to make an impression.”

“Made a bloody impression alright,” Rayla grumbled.

Callum chuckled a little more. “I suspect Ez gave it to you as a joke.”

She rolled her eyes. Now that she was in the room, all of her self consciousness melted away. She crossed the room and flopped face first on the bed, groaning in pleasure at how  _ normal _ it felt, compared to the sinkhole she’d just spent an hour in.

Still laughing, Callum crossed the room and picked her up, moving her under the covers instead of sprawled all over them. She opened one eye and stared at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Since when can you pick me up?”

Callum blushed. “I guess all that training paid off.”

Rayla rolled her eyes, smiling, and beckoned him over. Callum slid under the covers and wrapped an arm around her waist. Immediately, she relaxed, melting into him. His presence combined with the normalcy of the room around her allowed her to breathe better, and soon she was nearly asleep.

Just before she drifted off, Callum whispered, “I love you.”

Rayla smiled. “I love you too.”

And then she fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, my school finally decided to set up an actual frame for our remote learning, and I'm seeing other people on a regular basis (remotely, don't worry ;))! Yay! I was really starting to feel isolated, and chatting with other AO3 users was really helpful in making me feel a little less so. To that end, if anyone else is in a similar situation, or just needs to talk to someone, please don't hesitate to leave a comment, and I'll respond. It's not much, but it really does help to have some contact with other people. Hoping you're all safe :)


	5. Funny Business

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next morning...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I deleted this while copying and pasting it. Thanks GOD for keyboard shortcuts :'D
> 
> After this chapter, I'm promise going to try to get some plot going, but this is going to be a largely plotless story. It's basically just the gang getting together for the holidays and seeing how they've all changed. But there's not going to be a whole lot of angst, fluff pieces are my jam ;)
> 
> Enjoy!

Ezran had seen a lot in his short lifetime. He’d seen the illusions of a moon mage in the Cursed Caldera. He’d watched a baby dragon hatch. He’d seen war, and death, and the relief of peace.

But one thing that none of that prepared him for was finding his brother in bed with a girl.

It wasn’t a random girl, obviously. Rayla’s white hair and curved horns were unmistakable, and he knew Callum would never be caught dead with another person.

But still.

Ezran had woken up that morning barely able to contain his excitement. There was so much he wanted to show Callum and Rayla! After spending weeks constantly in their company, the sudden void their presence had left when he’d returned to Katolis had ached more than he was prepared for. The relief of having them back felt like floating.

He’d originally come in to ask Callum if he’d seen Rayla. She was normally an early riser, as was he, so Ezran wasn’t surprised to find her bed unoccupied that morning. But he’d desperately wanted to know what she thought of the room, which he’d given to her as a prank. He’d intended to give her a new one today, after watching her struggle try to find a gentle way of telling him she hated it. It was going to be hilarious.

But this was so, so,  _ so _ much better. 

Once Ezran got over the initial shock, he grinned wide. Not only was this absolutely the most adorable thing he’d ever seen, it would  _ definitely _ embarrass them. His Aunt Amaya had been a rather bad influence on him.

The air had been warm last night, so they’d kicked off the covers. The sheets were a tangled mess around their legs, and the comforter had been kicked to the floor. But they were wrapped around each other, Callum’s arms around her waist, hers pressed palm first against his chest. They were breathing in sync, and a peaceful stillness permeated the room.

Ezran grinned. Not for long.

He crept up next to Callum, looking down at his sleeping brother. His face was blissful, a slight smile on his face. Ezran leaned over, trying desperately not to laugh, and blew in his ear.

Callum jerked, his hand flying up to brush Ezran away. He dodged, in a fit of silent giggles. Slowly, his brother opened his eyes and pushed himself up onto his elbows, looking around. He didn’t immediately notice Ezran, since he had his back to him, but he did see Rayla. She’d stirred when he sat up, and turned her head, blinking sleep out of her eyes.

“Morning,” Callum said, grinning at her goofily.

“Mornin’,” she responded, yawning and smiling back at him.

Then her gaze flicked to the figure behind him, grinning like a maniac, and her eyes widened.

“Uh… Callum?”

He followed her gaze, turning to see Ezran doubled over in laughter. Now that they’d noticed him, he stopped trying to be quiet, cackling loudly and wiping tears from his eyes.

“Your…  _ faces… _ ” he gasped, red faced and panting.

Callum looked mortified. “Uh, Ez! Hi! What are you, um, doing in here?”

“I came to ask you if you’d seen Rayla. Which I guess you have!”

Ezran started laughing again, holding his stomach. Bait, who had been sleeping atop his head up until now, was jostled awake. He turned an irritated shade of purple and glared and the pair, as if to say  _ I know exactly who’s responsible for making my ride shake, and I’m not happy about it. _

Rayla turned a vibrant shade of red. “Well I was drowning in that bloody bed of yours!” she responded, crossing her arms.

“I know! It was a joke!  _ Everyone _ hates that room, even the diplomats!” Ezran suddenly frowned. “But I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m sorry.”

Rayla’s face softened. “It’s alright, Ez. It was just a joke. No harm done.”

“Except for my dignity,” Callum muttered.

This time, both Rayla  _ and _ Ezran doubled over. After a moment, Callum joined them. The situation really was just too hilarious. Ezran scrambled up onto the bed and into Rayla’s arms, and they all sat there, a pile of giggling idiots just enjoying the ability to be kids. It’d been a long time since they had that luxury.

They finally calmed down a bit, enough to speak, at least. Rayla looked down at Ezran. “So what did you want me for?”

Ezran grinned. “To find out what you thought of that bed.”

Rayla rolled her eyes. “It was a nightmare. Why don’t you renovate that room? Try to make it a little more  _ normal? _ ”

Callum laughed. “At this point, it’s kind of a joke. Plus, we put people we want to get rid of. What’s the record, Ez? A week?”

“And a half,” Ezran said, giggling. “A very determined ambassador from Neolandia.”

Callum snorted. “Figures.”

Rayla’s mouth opened in mock offense. “You don’t want me here?”

“Well,” Ezran said, giving her an evil grin, “If that were the case I don’t think you’d be in here.”

Callum groaned, flopping onto his back and putting his hands over his face in embarrassment. He nearly squashed Bait, who’d vacated Ezran’s hair (no doubt because of the constant vibrating), and curled up on the still-warm bed. Rayla and Ezran started laughing again, although Rayla was considerably more red in the face.

“You’re never gonna let this go, are you?” Callum mumbled into his hands.

“Nope!” Ezran said cheerfully.

Rayla buried her face in Ezran’s Bait-less hair, and she and Callum groaned in sync.

0oOo0

Once Callum had thrown on a proper shirt, and gotten a little less flushed, he and Ezran were shooed out into the hallway so that Rayla could get dressed. She’d had the forethought to bring a change of clothes with her the night before, so she was only a few moments, but it was long enough for Ezran and Callum to talk.

“Sooo… Ezran.”

Ezran smiled. “Yeesss?”

“Um.” Callum was clearly very uncomfortable. His face, which had been finally starting to return to a normal color, was slowly turning red again. “You know that, uh, Rayla and I… we wouldn’t - I mean, we  _ didn’t _ \- uh, do… anything. Last night. We just, you know, slept. Together. Wait, no, not together! Well, yeah, together, but not  _ together _ together. Just… together. You know?”

Ezran, who’d been waiting patiently for his brother to finish sputtering, grinned. “Callum, I have absolutely no idea what you’re trying to say, but I’m not weirded out or anything. You and Rayla love each other.” He shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t see what the big deal is.” His grin turned a little evil. “It’s not like you two were involved in any funny business.” Callum spluttered a little, but Ezran continued, “Seriously, it’s okay! I mean, I’m not exactly surprised this happened.”

Callum’s jaw dropped. “What do you mean?!”

Ezran laughed. “You love each other! Of course you sleep together. I mean, mom and dad did, right?”

To his surprise, this actually made Callum worse. “Um… yeah!” he said, his voice squeaking a little. “Totally normal! Just, uh, do me a favor Ez?”

Ezran grinned. “What?”

Callum got down on his knees, putting a hand on each of Ezran’s shoulders. He frowned. “What, Callum?”

Callum looked him in the eye. “ _ Don’t _ explain it that way to  _ anyone _ else.”

Ezran raised an eyebrow. “Okaaay.”

“Seriously, Ez,  _ don’t. _ Or, actually, don’t even tell anyone else. Okay? Our secret.”

Ezran grinned at his brother. “Sure, Callum.

He sighed in relief. “Okay. Thanks.”

Rayla stepped out of the bedroom. “Ready?”

Callum stood and smiled at her. “Yep!”

“Oh good, I have so much to show you!” Ezran grabbed each of their hands and started dragging them down the hallway, making them laugh as they stumbled and tried to keep up.

“Ez, slow down!” Callum said, laughing.

Rayla snorted. “He’s ten, Callum. I don’t think he’s capable.”

“Yep!” Ezran agreed, laughing. “Can’t slow down! I have to show you!”

As they made their way through the castle, tripping and laughing and teasing each other, Ezran couldn’t keep a jubilant grin from his face. He’d missed them so much.

This was going to be the best holiday  _ ever. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love these children <3 
> 
> This is the last of the chapters I wrote on my 5am writing spree! Hopefully the ones afterward live up to expectations. Thanks for sticking with me this far!


	6. A Mutually Beneficial Mixing of Cultures to Ensure the Friendship and Goodwill of Two Neighbors (aka An Excuse to Have An Awesome Party)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Callum and Rayla get a first look at the solstice preparations + Rayllum fluff because I'm soft ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, it's been a bit! I've actually had this sitting in my doc unedited for the past four days, and today I was like, "Oh shoot, I should probably post that" :'D I'm definitely going to have to slow down my posting schedule quite a lot, and I'm actually going to take a little time off from posting, so that I can get some of this story written in advance. I'll definitely be back, hopefully within the next few weeks. Thank you to everyone who's made it this far!
> 
> I've also got a little fanart. It has nothing to do with the story, but it is the golden trio <3, so I might add it to this chapter later. Let me know if that's something you'd like to see!
> 
> This chapter's a bit longer than usual, but I didn't really want to cut it back, so now it's this. Let's just call it compensation for my vacation ;)
> 
> Enjoy!

It never ceased to amaze Callum how much energy his little brother had. Whether it was making plans for a diplomatic trip to Duren, playing pranks on the castle inhabitants, or even just feeding Bait, he did everything with such energy it made him a little dizzy.

Today, the focus of all that enthusiasm was the summer solstice festival. It was always a spectacle - there would be a huge fireworks display the night of, and as well as dancing and singing in the town square, and bonfires throughout the city. The best part was the hundreds of stalls would be set up in and around the kingdom, filled with trinkets, souvenirs, good food, not-so-great food, clothes, specialty items, and so, so much more. Ezran’s particular favorite was Barius’ stall - it was piled high with every kind of jelly tart imaginable, human and elvish, and a few that Callum wasn’t sure could be real. He made a mental note to monitor Ez’s tart intake the night of the festival. He wasn’t sure the king going into a sugar coma was something that would be good for the kingdom.

This year, however, instead of using only human traditions, Ezran had tried to incorporate some elven ones, too. It would be, according to him, “The best solstice  _ ever. _ ”

Although each culture celebrated in a myriad of different ways, both had one idea at the center of it all - light over dark, good over evil. The longest day of the year was meant to be a representation of the good triumphing over bad. It was a celebration of life, and love. So, this was what Ezran focused on.

All of the original human traditions would still go forward. Callum wasn’t sure Ez even had a say in that. But several elven traditions, such as the burning of the Yule wreath in an enormous ceremonial bonfire, and many different kinds of traditional elvish food, were also to be incorporated. He was particularly excited for a gem that he’d discovered from none other than Ibis, Callum’s stoic mage instructor. However, he flatly refused to reveal what it was.

“Believe me,” he said, eyes glinting in a way that made Callum nervous, “You’ll find out soon enough.”

Even Rayla couldn’t figure out which elven tradition had the boy so excited. “I don’t know, Callum,” she said, frowning. “I mean, I know that Skywings tend to associate the summer solstice with romance.” She grinned. “A  _ lot _ of Skywing babies have a birthday around nine months after the solstice.”

Callum wrinkled up his nose. “Lovely, Rayla. Definitely something I needed to know.”

She just laughed.

Among other traditions, Ezran was also planning on including a special midday meditation of sorts. It was a purely elvish thing - humans tended to take the “live it up” approach to the holiday - but he’d already had several people interested, and between them and the elves that were coming, he figured it’d be fine. 

Rayla was surprisingly excited to see how humans spent the solstice. “So, what do you usually do?” she asked Callum while they waited for Ezran, who was caught up talking to some advisor or other.

“Hmm?” he asked, blinking out of his trance. He’d been rather caught up in admiring the way her hair caught the light.

She laughed, and his heart fluttered. Sometimes, he still couldn’t quite believe that she was really his. How could someone as beautiful and fearless and wonderful as her fall for a “mis-step prince?” He knew now that he was better than that - or at least, they were working on it - but sometimes it still took his breath away that someone as fantastic as her loved him.

She gave him a fond smile. “I asked what you usually do on the solstice.”

“Oh!” he exclaimed. “Well. I usually just follow Ez around and try to keep him out of trouble.”

Rayla raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t he have guards to do that? Or your dad, or someone?”

“No one else can say no to his puppy dog eyes,” Callum explained with a grin. “Actually, I barely can. But…” he shrugged. “I never really had much interest in doing anything without him. He was my only real family, for a while there. I mean, Dad tried, but we never really clicked as father and son. And everyone else was nice enough, but at the end of the day, I was still royalty. No one really  _ knew  _ me.” Callum paused for a moment. “Ezran, though… he was always part of me.” His eyes softened as he looked over at his little brother, talking animatedly to Opeli about something or other. “All I ever wanted was for him to be happy.”

He felt a hand on his arm, and he turned to see Rayla smiling at him, her eyes full of tenderness. “You’re a good brother, Callum,” she said softly.

It was the highest praise anyone could give him.

She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “But this year, he’s got all of us. Opeli, Amaya, Soren. Me.” Raising a hand, she brushed a bit of hair out of his face. “And you do, too. So try to have some fun. Okay?”

Callum smiled at her. “Okay.”

“Hey guys,” Ezran called, “When you’re finished being mushy, I’ve got more stuff to show you!”

They laughed, rolling their eyes at each other. Typical Ez. As they turned and walked toward him, Rayla looped an arm through Callum’s, leaning into him a little. He turned his head just enough to see her smile, and his chest filled with warmth. He loved her so much, it almost hurt.

When they reached Ezran, he bounced over to them, grinning like a maniac. “I just settled the last of the business junk. This is gonna be so cool!”

Opeli, standing behind him, smiled serenely. “It will be a wonderful and mutually beneficial mixing of cultures to ensure the friendship and goodwill of two neighbors.”

“Or an excuse to have an awesome party,” Ezran stage whispered with a wink. 

They all chuckled, even Opeli. She always was a bit stiff, but that’s why she was good for Ez. His goofiness and inherently trusting nature complimented her stiff manner and cautiousness, and together they made a good team. Besides, she had a good heart. She’d been one of the few to reject Viren as king, and risked her life to help the boy. It was hard to find loyalty like that.

Then Callum glanced at Ezran, bubbling happily and bouncing a little. He smiled. Well, maybe not for him.

Said boy grabbed Rayla by the hand and started dragging her again. “Come on!” he said, laughing, “You’ve gotta see the pole!”

Rayla’s brow wrinkled in confusion as she was pulled along, dragging Callum, whose arm she was still gripping, behind her. “Pole?”

“I think he means the maypole,” Callum said with a laugh. “It’s basically a giant pole they stick in the ground and tie ribbons to the top of. Each person holds a ribbon, and there’s special dances and stuff. Usually we do it in May, but sometimes there’s one at the solstice, too.”

Rayla nodded, “Ohh. We actually have those. Or something like it, anyway. We use moon ribbons, though.”

“What’s a moon ribbon?” Ezran asked excitedly.

“It’s just like a regular ribbon, but it’s enchanted so that when we do a special dance with a bunch of them, an illusion is woven. Each pole is set up to create a different picture at the end, but you don’t know what it is until you’ve finished the dance.”

Ezran’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. “That. Is. Awesome.”

Rayla laughed, the sound joyful and sweet. “Yeah,” she agreed. “It is.”

When they reached the courtyard, Ezran pointed excitedly at the enormous pole that had been erected in the center. “There it is!”

The structure was at least fifteen feet tall, beautifully decorated with paintings of golden suns to celebrate the solstice. The wood had been left bare between the pictures, and lacquered, so that it shone with its own golden light. Dozens of ribbons hung from the top, in every color of the rainbow, and a few Callum had never seen before - which for someone who was both an artist,  _ and _ had been to Xadia, was saying something. A light breeze blew through the courtyard, making the cloth dance and shimmer in the midmorning sun.

Rayla’s eyes had gotten big enough to rival Ezran’s. “It’s…  _ enormous! _ ” she exclaimed, gaping at it in awe. Ezran laughed.

“Of course it is! Half the city’s going to be dancing here!”

She shook her head, amazed. “My village usually has a few smaller ones, to make room for everyone. We never even  _ dreamed _ of making one this big.” She smiled, perhaps subconsciously. “I bet Ethari would love to make one of these…” She trailed off, gazing at the monolith above her in awe.

Callum put an arm around her waist. “Maybe we can ask him when we visit, yeah?”

She turned to him, her eyes shining with joy and a little hope. “Yeah,” she said softly, smiling. “When we visit.”

Ezran pouted. “I better be included in that ‘we’.”

Laughing, Rayla pulled him into an embrace. “Of course! We can’t exclude the king of Katolis,” she said with a wink, poking him in the stomach. He giggled.

“Yeah!” he said, “I’ve gotta go and be diplomatic!” He stood up straight, folding his hands in front of him. “A diplomatic mission to extend a hand of friendship to the people of the Silvergrove.” He did a surprisingly good imitation of Opeli, and both Callum and Rayla cracked up.

“Wow,” Callum said, ruffling his hair, “You’ve been spending  _ way _ too much time with her.”

Ezran grinned. “I know. I need a vacation.”

“Which is exactly why I’m not going to allow you to do a single bit of work on the solstice,” Rayla said, winking.

Ezran looked at her mischievously. “Or what?”

She leapt forward suddenly, arms reaching for his stomach. “Or the tickle monster will get you!”

Ezran let out a shriek of laughter and took off across the courtyard, Rayla running after him with her arms outstretched. They zigzagged across the cobblestones, narrowly avoiding crashing into several people, plants, and animals, but Ezran was tireless.

Callum grinned, watching their antics. He remembered when he and Ez would play games like this. Usually, though, they’d run through the castle corridors, laughing and yelling and getting underfoot, and being general nuisances to the people who were actually trying to work. He chuckled as he remembered one time, when they were pretty young, and hadn’t known Opeli very well. Ezran had accidentally run into her headfirst, causing her to drop the paperwork she’d been holding. He and Callum had immediately cleaned it up and apologized profusely, expecting punishment from the terrifying woman, or at least for her to tell their father.

But to their surprise, she had merely laughed, told them to be a little more careful in the future, and then walked off. That was the first time either of them had seen her gentle side, but it’d shown itself several times since. She was a big softy, underneath all the composure and decorum. Not unlike Rayla, actually, although Callum wasn’t sure Rayla even knew what the word “decorum” meant. And she would definitely never be caught dead in a dress.

He smiled as he imagined Rayla being forced into one of Opeli’s dresses. The chances of the person dressing her surviving the encounter were very slim.

He must’ve had a pretty silly look on his face, because Rayla suddenly called out to him, “Oi! Goofball! Get yourself over here so we can see the rest of the preparations!”

Callum laughed at the nickname and ran to join her and Ez at the gates. They were both red faced and out of breath, but Ez kept giggling every few moments for no apparent reason, and Rayla had a smile on her face that could’ve powered the sun. She really was breathtaking, her eyes shining and her hair mussed.

Rayla flicked him in the shoulder. “What?” he complained.

“You’re staring. What’s wrong?”

He grinned. “Can’t I look at my gorgeous girlfriend?”

Rayla’s face, if possible, turned even redder, and Ezran groaned. “Guuuys, do you  _ have _ to be so gross?”

Callum laughed. “You never had a problem with it before!”

“That was  _ before _ I found you two in bed. Now it’s like mom and dad are flirting! It’s weird!”

Callum squinted at his brother. “How do you even know that word?”

“What, flirting?” Ezran grinned. “People are careful around me, but I spent most of my life in secret passageways listening in on people’s conversations. I know  _ some _ things.”

If Rayla’s face (still quite red) was any indication, she was thinking the same thing he was: thank  _ god _ for Katolian manners, or Ezran might’ve learned about some other things in a way that was definitely not good for his mental or emotional health.

“Hey guys! What’s going on?” said a voice from behind them.

The trio turned to find Soren standing behind them, smiling.

“Uhhh. Soren. Hey,” Callum said, feeling his face heat up.

“Did I just hear Ezran say that he listens in on people’s conversations in  _ secret passageways? _ ” he asked, looking intrigued.

“Yeah!” Ezran said, “You’ve never seen them?”

“No?! How did I not know about this?”

Ezran grinned. “I’ll show you sometime, if you want!”

“Uhhh, YEAH? Like, big yes to that?!” Soren replied, eyes wide and excited.

Callum laughed, relieved that Soren had apparently not heard the sentences before that. “Yeah, they’re pretty cool.”

At that, he turned to the older brother. “And Callum, you and Rayla share a bed?”

Everyone froze for a second. Then, Soren laughed. “I mean, it’s sweet that you’re such good friends and all, but I wouldn’t let too many people in on that. They might get the wrong idea.” He winked suggestively at them.

Callum’s eyes widened. “Um. Yeah! Wouldn’t want anyone to get the… wrong idea.” He was pretty sure his voice was a full two octaves above normal.

Soren, however, didn’t seem to pick up on his discomfort. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me.” He gave them another not-at-all subtle wink, and then, thankfully, dropped the topic. “So! Where are you guys off to?”

“To look at the solstice preparations!” Ezran said, grinning. He’d been quiet up until then, watching Callum and Soren’s stilted conversation with a bit of confusion and a lot of concealed laughter. “There’s so much stuff to see! You wanna come with?”

“Oh, um…” Soren looked a little taken aback at the offer. The boy still hadn’t gotten used to being wanted around.

Callum lay a gentle hand on his arm. “C’mon. It’ll be fun.”

Soren gave him a small smile. “Okay.”

“Sweet! This is gonna be  _ epic! _ ” Ezran grabbed the Crownguard’s hand and started dragging him, much like how he’d been dragging Callum and Rayla all morning. Soren laughed at the boy’s enthusiasm, and this time a real smile lit up his face, bright and joyful. His eyes shone with something that looked a little like… was that tears? 

Callum shook the thought away. He was just being a sap, as Rayla would say.

Speaking of Rayla, he turned to look at his girlfriend, who groaned and dropped her face into her hands. Chuckling, he nudged her. “It could be worse. At least that wasn’t how he found out we’re together.”

“Don’t care,” she responded, her voice a little muffled. “’M never coming out of here. Ever.”

Grinning slyly, Callum wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her close to him. “ _ Ever? _ ” he asked, whispering right in her ear.

She squealed and pulled away a little, punching him admonishingly in the shoulder. “ _ Callum! _ ”

He laughed, “Okay, okay! Sorry!” His grin turned mischievous. “But you’re really cute when you squeal like that.”

Blushing, Rayla rolled her eyes. “Shut up,” she mumbled, pulling him in for a quick kiss. And then another. And then -

“What’s taking you guys so long?” Soren called out from the road ahead. 

Rayla groaned and buried her face in Callum’s neck, where he could feel her face heating up. “Coming, Soren,” she called back, her voice muffled and embarrassed.

“We’re really going to have to tell him one of these days,” Callum said, chuckling.

“I can’t decide if that would make it better or worse.”

He put a hand on her hair, her face still in his shoulder. “You know he doesn’t mean anything by it, right? He’s just clueless.”   
  
She pulled away and looked up at him. With a start, Callum realized that he’d grown a few inches in the past months, and he was now slightly taller than her. It wasn’t by much, but it was still a startling reminder of how much he’d changed. He wasn’t the same boy who’d danced around while being chased by monsters because he’d done a spell. Who hadn’t been able to speak a full two words within twenty feet of his crush. Whose heart had swelled to seemingly impossible proportions when Rayla had called him a mage.

Well, the last one was still true. But now for different reasons.

Rayla smiled reassuringly. “I know. It’s just a bit embarrassing, is all.”

Callum grinned. “Yeah, Soren has a talent for that. Whether it’s intentional or not, well, it’s a toss up.”

Rayla laughed. He loved that sound. He loved that he could cause it. Be the catalyst of her joy.

“Guys, come on! You’re slower than a turtle in molasses with four broken legs!”

Callum sighed. “C’mon. If we take any longer I’m afraid he’ll irritate you to the point of no return.”

She smiled at him sweetly. “I haven’t the faintest idea what you could mean.” Then she winked. “But yeah, I think it would be better for his future physical health if we shut him up.”

Chuckling, the pair turned and set off, catching up to Soren and Ezran. They spent the rest of the morning walking around the city, looking at the preparations and even getting to sample some of the food. By lunchtime, they’d collected enough free samples and gifts to have a little picnic, on the shore of a nearby lake. There were other picnickers, too, as well as swimmers cooling off in the late June heat. Soren and Ezran joined them soon after finishing their food, Soren taking off his armor and laying it next to the picnic blanket. He wore a thin white shirt and black pants underneath, both of which he left on, turning and performing a surprisingly graceful dive into the pool. Ezran didn’t even bother to strip down at all, just threw his crown down next to Soren’s armor and jumped into the lake with his knees pulled up to his chest, shouting “CANNONBALL!” This sent an enormous plume of water over everyone in the lake’s heads, effectively soaking them and sending Rayla into a fit of laughter.

“What… in Garlaff’s name… was  _ that? _ ” she asked, gasping for breath. 

Callum chuckled. “ _ That _ was a cannonball. An Ezran specialty. I have no idea how it doesn’t hurt him, but the idea is to get as many other people wet as possible.”

She fell sideways dramatically, collapsing into a shaking pile of giggles in Callum’s lap. He grinned down at her, enjoying the sound of her snorting laughter. It was as beautiful to him as any music.

They sat there for a little while longer, watching the other two swim and goof around. Rayla left her head in Callum’s lap, and he stroked her hair absentmindedly, twirling it in his fingers. At one point, she glanced up at him, smiling.

“What?” he asked, smiling back.

“Just… A few months ago, I never could’ve imagined I’d be here. In Katolis. With my head in a human’s lap, watching the king do cannonballs into a lake.” She shook her head. “I never would’ve thought it was even possible.”

“And now?” Callum asked, still smiling.

She looked him in the eyes, and in that moment, she looked so beautiful, and strong, and perfect, it took all of his willpower not to kiss her firmly on the lips.

“I don’t think there’s any place I’d rather be.”

Now, Callum did bend over, pressing a soft kiss to her lips and not caring who saw. She smiled at him. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Ray. More than anything.”

They heard the splash of another of Ezran’s cannonballs, and turned to watch him, laughing. After a moment, Callum whispered, “You know what?”

“What?” she asked, looking up at him.

Callum smiled. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be, either.”

She smiled brightly back at him, laughing a little, and Callum knew that as long as she kept laughing, he could live the rest of his life with no complaints.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That thing Soren said? About a turtle with four broken legs in molasses? Yeah, I did not make that up. My annoying friend did, and he uses it on me at every. Opportunity. I'm seriously going to kill him one of these days, a girl can only take so much :'D But it is funny (and let's hope he doesn't read this because if he knew I admitted that I'd never hear the end of it), so now it's Soren's. Ha.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments, kudos and feedback are much appreciated :) I've only got a vague idea of where I'm going with this, so any suggestions you might have are very much welcome! Stay safe x


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